What will become of New Orleans’ World Trade Center?

What a week for Mayor Mitch Landrieu. First, the announcement of what would basically be a new Louis Armstrong International Airport for our city. Then, late last week, the news leaking out of the preferred proposal of 3 that the mayor and his team will select for the redevelopment of the old World Trade Center site.

The 60s era icon will be torn down and replaced with a huge monument and park that will help the city reach the mayor’s goal of 13 million tourists by the city’s 300 year anniversary on 2018. Developers envision a world class monument similar in stature and significance to the St. Louis arch or the Eiffel Tower.

But the plan is much bigger than just the World Trade Center site. It actually includes a linear park going upriver, past the Convention Center, to the old Market Street power plant. An entirely redeveloped downtown river…